Optical properties of NiCrOx thin films

Abstract The optical properties of thin NiCrO x layers were investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The layers were coated on float glass by magnetron sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures (20% to 30% oxygen in the sputtering gas) and the influence of the degree of oxidation was considered in details. The optical constants of the films n and k , in the visible to near infrared spectral range (0.35 to 1.7 mm), appear to be extremely sensitive to their chemical composition. Complementary studies were carried out using Fourier transform infrared ellipsometry (FTIR‐SE) to determine the optical conductivity of the films and compare it with four‐points‐probe measurements. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)